Mechanism for locking washing-machine tubs



w. s. IRELAND AND w. H. MEYER. MECHANISM FORELOCKJNG WAHINGfMACHINE TUBS.

. APPLICATION ULEB 06f. 2l. |919.'

Paten-ted m1731922.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WARD S. IRELAND AND WILLIAM H. MEYER. 0F ST. LOUIS. MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR, BY

' MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, Tf' THE DAVIS SE'VING MCHINE COMPANY, A CORPORA- TION OF DELAWARE.

MECHANILJ.. FOR LOCKING WASHING-.MACHINE TUBS.

TM Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 17, 1922.

Application filed Gcto'ber 27, 1919. Serial No. 333,715.

vTo IIJ 'whom if may (vanvera:

lie it known that we, han S. lnnmNn and WHJAAM il. Marien, eitizens of the i'iaited States ol' Amel-iva. residents of the viti Se Louis, in the Shih of Missouri. have inwnied certain new and asel'al Iniproremenis in Merhzinism For Locking Viias'hingl\larhine Tubs. of' wliif'li he following is a fullrlear, and exact descriptionyr'eierenoe being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this speeiiration.

(hir invention` relates to a meohanisni for loelring the tnbs of washing miwhines and is iiitended more partienlarly for use in holdim,r oscillating lobe to prevent tilting! therefii" 'when the tub is not in motion. V`he deviee io which our present invention relates is one Winer-eb)v the wishingniarhine tub may be eonnrel'erl to the main frame ol' the washing machine to hold the tnli in :i fixed position, and the looking means is used in ei'injunetionwith clutch operating mecha-- nism provided for the connection of the tnb lo power niovhzmisni by which the tub is oleeiid.

Fig. I is a sido elevation of a Washing marhine having our improvement inrorporated therein, the easingV of the maehine bein partlv broken away.

fig. li is an enlarged side elevation of the tub looking device and parts directly associated therewith.

Fig. III is an enlarged vertical section taken on line IH-I1L Fig. I.

Fig. IV is a cross section taken on line. "iV-HIV, Fig. 11.

Fig. V is a cross section taken on line if-v Fig., U. i

In the drawings, I designates the main frame of a washing maehine, l'ireferably en` eosed within a suitable easing 2. The Washing machine tub 3. adapted to oscillate Within the machine, is supported by suitable pivots. one of which (not shown) is located in a suitable bearing at one side of the tub and the other of which, designated by the numeral 4, is mounted in a subframe 5 secured to the main frame 1. Said subframe includes a bearing 6, extending inwardly toward the tub, 1n which the pivot 4 is mounted.

7 designates a clutch member secured to the `tub 3 adjacent the piv'ot 4 and having formed therein reeesses 8 (see Fig. V). A slidalsli? rlntvli member 9, movable to and fro on the bearing C. and on a guide 1U opposite said bearing ronjoined to the elntrll member is provided with bosses il., whirh are adapted to enter the reeesses is' in the elntvh member T to eonneet said slidable elntrh member to he tub 3.

ria-ive shaft 12, adapted to be operated in an)` suitable manner. is provided with a rranl.A 15 to which a connecting rod 14 is pivotml. Said connecting rod is connected to the slidable clutch member 9 b v a connelting arm i5 fixed to the rlnhh member Si and receiving the pivotalattaf'liment of said eonneeting rod. Vll' will be understood that. when the power shaft 1Q is rotated, reriprorating movement will be imparted to the ronnerting rod l-l. and in eoiisemienee of this movement the Clntf'li member 9 will be osc'illated on the support provided therefor. lt will be further understood that, if said rlnloh member 9 is retracted from engagement with the clutch member 7 on the tub. said e-lntr'li member fill merely 'be osrillateil on the bearing (l when the .-onmeeting rod 14 is in motion. whereas. if the rluteh member is moved toward the tub, the bos-ses l]V carried thereby will enter the reresses 8 in the elnteh member 7 and oseillation will therefore be imparted to said tub in response to movement of said connerting rod.

Proceeding now to description of the Vmeans for shifting the slidable clutch memher 9: 16 is a rookable shifter crank engaging the clutch member 9 and carried by a. short shaft 17, looselyr arranged in the subframe 5 and to Whic is conjoined e sleeve 18 provided with one on. more longitudinal slots 19. A shaft 20. provided with a handle 22,'is rotatable in the subirame 5 and is provided with a transverse pin 21 movable longitudinally in the slot or slots in 'the sleeve 18, thereby providing slot and pin engagement between said shaft 20 and said sleeve 18, so that when said shaft 20 is rotated it will impart movement to the shaft 17 and the cam 16 to shift the clutch member 9 into or ont of en agement with the clutch member 7. The s ot and pin connection between the shaft 2U and the sleeve 18 is unessential in so far as the operation of the clutch member 9 is concerned, but is clutch member 7. A locking head 25, se-

cured to the shaft 2U, is provided withfingers` 2G and 27 which are adapted to be engaged with the keepers 23 and 24, respec tively,A and n hen said lingers are engaged with said keepers the tub is securely locked to the snbframe to hold it from swinging on its pivots.,` as it would in the absence of any means for holding it when the clutch member 9 is disengaged from the tub carried clutch member 'i'. A coil spring 28,

surrounding the shaft QU and interposed between the sleeve 18 and the locking head serves to sustain the fingers of the locking head in engagement with the keepers Q3 and 24, but when the tub is to be disengaged from the holding inliuencc of said locking headr` said spring yields to downward pressure upon the shaft 20 and said shaft. by sliding relative to the sleeve 18, is moved endwise to a suliicient degree to provide for the removal of the locking head from the keepers 23 and Q4. Then, by rotating the shaft QL a like rotation is imparted to the earn 1G and the clutch member 9 is moved into engagement with the clutch member T to provide for the operation ol the washing machine tub by the tub operating mechanism We claim:

1. vsashing machine comprising a support. a tub pivoted to said support, tub operating means including a clutch` a crank for shifting said clutch into and out of o erative position, an operating shaft loose y connected to said crank and movable longitudinally relative thereto. and a tub locking member carried by said shaft movable into and out ot engagement with said tub.

L. A washing machine comprising an osso f'illatory tub. power mechanism, a clutch through which motion is transmitted from said power mechanism to said tub, said clutch being shit'table to control the transmission of movement trrsaid oscillatory tub,

locking means adapted to retain the tub in a fixed position when said clutch is positioned to release said power mechanism from the tub. and an operating shaft common t0 said clutch and locking means. said shaft beiiig movable longitudinally to actuate said locking meansl and movable about its axis to shift said clutch.

A washing machine comprising a support, an oscillatory tub supported thereby,

power mechanism, a clutch including an oseillating clutch member through which motion is transmitted from said power mechanism to said tubi said clutch being shiftable to control the transmission of movement to said oscillatory tub, locking means eooperable with said tub and support to retain the tub in a fixed position when said -clutch 'is positioned to release said power mechanism from the tub, and an operating shaft com mon to said clutch and locking means` said shaft being movable longitudinally to actuate said locking means and movable about its axis to shift said clutch.

at. A washing machine comprising an oscillatory tub, power mechanism, a clutch 8G through which motion is transmitted from said power mechanism t0 'said tub, a clutch shifter movable to control the transmission of movement to said oscillatory tub, locking means adapted to retain the tub in a fixed position when said clutch is positioned to release said power mechanism from the tub, said locking means comprising a keeper carried by the oscillatory tub and a locking element cooperable with said keeper to lock the tub, and an operating shaft secured to said clutch shifter and locking element, said operating shaft being movable in one direction to actuate said locking means and in another direction to aetuate said clutch shifter.

5. A washing machine comprising an oscillatory tub, power mechanism` a clutch through which motion is transmitted from said power mechanism to said tub, a clutch shifter movable to control the transmission of movement to said oscillatory tub, lockin means adapted to retain the tub in a fixed position when said clutch is positioned to release said power mechanism from the tub, said locking means comprising a keeper carried b v the oscillator i tub and a locking element cooperable with said keeper to lock the tub, and an operating shaft comprising two shaft sections one of which is movable longitudinally relative to the other, the lon 110 gitudinally movable shaft section being secured' to said locking element and the other shaft section being secured to said clutch shifter.

(i. A washing machine comprising an oscillatory tub, power mechanism. a clutch through which motion is transmitted from said power mechanism to said tub, a clutch shifter movable to control the transmission of movement to said oscillatory tub, locking means adapted to retain the tub in a. fixed position when said clutch is positioned to release said power mechanism from the tub, said locking means comprising a kee er carried by the oscillatory tub and a locking element cooperable with said keeper to lock the tub, and an operating shaft comprising two shaft sections one of which is movable longitudinally relative to the other, the longitudinally movable shaft section being se- 13b (ired to vsaid locking elelnent and the other shaft seetion being seenred to said eluteh shifter and a spring cooperating with the longitmlinallv movable shaft :section to yieldingtrbv retain said lorking element in its operative position.

T. whining nraehine romprising an oscillatory tub. power meehanism. a clutch through which motion i1- transmitted from said power merhanism to said tub, a latch shifter movable to control the tranamission of movement to said osriilatonv tub. loi-Icing means adapted to retain the tub in a fixed position when said elutf-h is positioned to re lea e Said pouver Inethanisin fron] the tub. said inviting means rompi-hing a keeper carried bv the oseillatonv tub and a locking ele ment eooperable with said keeper' to lock the tub. and an operating shaft eomprisin a .shaft sevtion rigidly seein-eci to Said locking element. a shaft section rigidlv secured to Amid elutrh shifter and a r-lidab e connection uniting: said shaft seetions and permitting the first mentioned shaft seetion to move longitluliilalbv relative to the other shaft section. the first mentioned shaft section being movable longitmlinall)l to shift said locking element to and from its operative position, and both shaft seetions being movable about their axis to-actuate said clutch shifter.

In testimony that we eiaim the foregoing \ve hereunto aiiix our signatures.'

WAHI) S. IRELAND.

WILLIAM H. MEVIQR. 

